Ecclesiastes 7

1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.

1 名誉强如美好的膏油；人死的日子胜过人生的日子。

2 It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.

2 往遭丧的家去， 强如往宴乐的家去； 因为死是众人的结局， 活人也必将这事放在心上。

3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.

3 忧愁强如喜笑； 因为面带愁容，终必使心喜乐。

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

4 智慧人的心在遭丧之家； 愚昧人的心在快乐之家。

5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.

5 听智慧人的责备， 强如听愚昧人的歌唱。

6 For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.

6 愚昧人的笑声， 好像锅下烧荆棘的爆声； 这也是虚空。

7 Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

7 勒索使智慧人变为愚妄； 贿赂能败坏人的慧心。

8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.

8 事情的终局强如事情的起头； 存心忍耐的，胜过居心骄傲的。

9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.

9 你不要心里急躁恼怒， 因为恼怒存在愚昧人的怀中。

10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.

10 不要说： 先前的日子强过如今的日子， 是什么缘故呢？ 你这样问，不是出于智慧。

11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.

11 智慧和产业并好， 而且见天日的人得智慧更为有益。

12 For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.

12 因为智慧护庇人， 好像银钱护庇人一样。 惟独智慧能保全智慧人的生命。 这就是知识的益处。

13 Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?

13 你要察看 神的作为； 因 神使为曲的，谁能变为直呢？

14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.

14 遇亨通的日子你当喜乐；遭患难的日子你当思想；因为 神使这两样并列，为的是叫人查不出身后有什么事。

15 In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

15 有义人行义，反致灭亡；有恶人行恶，倒享长寿。这都是我在虚度之日中所见过的。

16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

16 不要行义过分，也不要过于自逞智慧，何必自取败亡呢？

17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

17 不要行恶过分，也不要为人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？

18 It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.

18 你持守这个为美，那个也不要松手；因为敬畏 神的人，必从这两样出来。

19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.

19 智慧使有智慧的人比城中十个官长更有能力。

20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

20 时常行善而不犯罪的义人，世上实在没有。

21 Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.

21 人所说的一切话，你不要放在心上，恐怕听见你的仆人咒诅你。

22 For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

22 因为你心里知道，自己也曾屡次咒诅别人。

23 All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.

23 我曾用智慧试验这一切事；我说，要得智慧，智慧却离我远。

24 What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?

24 万事之理，离我甚远，而且最深，谁能测透呢？

25 I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.

25 我转念，一心要知道，要考察，要寻求智慧和万事的理由；又要知道邪恶为愚昧，愚昧为狂妄。

26 And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.

26 我得知有等妇人比死还苦：她的心是网罗，手是锁链。凡蒙 神喜悦的人必能躲避她；有罪的人却被她缠住了。

27 “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.

27–28 传道者说：「看哪，一千男子中，我找到一个正直人，但众女子中，没有找到一个。」我将这事一一比较，要寻求其理，我心仍要寻找，却未曾找到。

28 While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.

29 Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

29 我所找到的只有一件，就是 神造人原是正直，但他们寻出许多巧计。